FIVE PLUS ONE
It had been so long ago she had almost forgotten. But when the delivery came, the memories came flooding back. Not just of a reunion with old friends and colleagues, but of a magical moment in time . . .
*****
The first three Doctors were engrossed in the deciphering of a Gallifreyan language. A little distance away, two women watched them.
"It's a shame Tom chose not to take part," Lis whispered.
"Mmm," agreed Janet. "Still, nearly everyone else made it."
"I know, but this is supposed to be The Five Doctors. Oh well." Their conversation was halted by the gentle sound of a materialisation effect.
"Oh, where's that coming from?" Janet complained. "Have the effects boys got it wrong again?"
"Beats me," Lis replied. She looked around and gasped. Right in front of her, but away from the main scene being played out, stood a London Telephone box. "The TARDIS isn't supposed to be in this scene, is it?"
"No." Janet slowly approached it. Tentatively, she ran her hands across its surface, then stepped back, uncertain. "Lis, if I didn't know better, I'd swear this was a real Police Call Box. Except for one thing."
Lis laughed. "I suppose you're going to tell me there's a vibration, as if it's alive."
Janet nodded. "That's exactly right." Her expression was deadly serious.
The laughter died in Lis' throat. "That's not funny, Janet." Any further comments were forgotten as the door opened and out stepped a man with brown curly hair, a wide smile and an impossibly long scarf. "Tom!" Lis exclaimed. "What a wonderful surprise!"
The newcomer seemed taken aback by this greeting. "I'm sorry, but have we met?"
"Oh Tom, don't be so standoffish," Lis scolded. "Did you have second thoughts then?"
The man stared at Lis as if she were mad. "I've never even had any first thoughts. And my name isn't Tom. I think you've mistaken me for someone else."
Janet had remained in the background, observing Lis and the man with the scarf. With him and the Police Box combined, she was reluctant to voice her thoughts, but knew there was something not quite right about all of this. "So, who are you then?" she asked.
"Oh, I'm no-one special, " he replied. "Just a traveller in time and space."
Even Lis began to have her doubts. "Tom, you're not making any sense."
"I keep telling you, my name isn't Tom. I'm the Doctor." Lis and Janet stared open mouthed as he pushed past them to observe the scene being played out behind them. "So, who are these fellows then, eh?"
"You don't recognise them?" Lis asked. She moved toward him, but Janet caught her arm, pulling her back. "Janet, what . . . "
"Lis," Janet whispered. "Look at them."
At first Lis didn't understand. Everything seemed fine, nothing unusual happening. In fact, nothing at all. Then she realised. Nothing was happening because no one was moving. Everyone, from the actors to the cameramen and production crew, were frozen in time.
Finally, Lis and Janet were forced to accept that this was all for real. "Oh heck," was all Lis could say.
The man with the scarf turned around to face the two women. "So what's going on here?" There was no malice in his tone. If anything, he was reassuringly calm, taking this all in his stride. Just like the Doctor would do, Lis and Janet found themselves thinking.
"This is a tv studio," Janet replied, finding her voice, "and we're making a story for a series called Doctor Who."
"Fascinating," he commented. "Tell me more."
"Well, this particular story is to celebrate twenty years of the programme. A lot of the actors who appeared in Doctor Who over those twenty years have come back for this special."
"I see." The man with the scarf was really interested. "And what's this Doctor Who series about?"
Lis decided to chip in. "It's about a Time Lord who travels in time and space in a ship disguised as . . . " she paused, realising what she was about to say. "It's disguised as a Police Telephone Box and it's called a TARDIS."
The stranger's momentary look of surprise was not lost on Lis or Janet. He looked back at his own Police Box and it was as though a box of secrets had been opened. "A Time Lord and a TARDIS, you say?" They nodded. "Well, they say truth is stranger than fiction," he said, almost to himself.
He turned back to Lis. "And who is this 'Tom' you mistook me for?"
"Ah." Lis had been expecting this one. "Well, one of the actors who played the main role decided not to take part. Someone Janet and I both worked with. That's 'Tom', and he looks like you."
"Really." The man was deep in thought. Then he smiled. "Do you know, I've just had a brilliant idea."
*****
Years later, when the DVD of The Five Doctors was released, all the cast received a complimentary copy, as was standard practice. But if anyone had seen either Lis' or Janet's copy, they would have seen another Doctor appearing in numerous amended or brand new scenes. As she watched, Lis re- read the note that had been inserted inside the casing, knowing that Janet would also have received a similar greeting . . .
'Elisabeth,
Thank you for allowing me to indulge myself all those years ago. Only you and Janet will see the results in this special edition.
The Doctor.'
And Lis' thoughts drifted back to that special day. "Oh Doctor," she remembered, "you didn't forget."
It had been so long ago she had almost forgotten. But when the delivery came, the memories came flooding back. Not just of a reunion with old friends and colleagues, but of a magical moment in time . . .
*****
The first three Doctors were engrossed in the deciphering of a Gallifreyan language. A little distance away, two women watched them.
"It's a shame Tom chose not to take part," Lis whispered.
"Mmm," agreed Janet. "Still, nearly everyone else made it."
"I know, but this is supposed to be The Five Doctors. Oh well." Their conversation was halted by the gentle sound of a materialisation effect.
"Oh, where's that coming from?" Janet complained. "Have the effects boys got it wrong again?"
"Beats me," Lis replied. She looked around and gasped. Right in front of her, but away from the main scene being played out, stood a London Telephone box. "The TARDIS isn't supposed to be in this scene, is it?"
"No." Janet slowly approached it. Tentatively, she ran her hands across its surface, then stepped back, uncertain. "Lis, if I didn't know better, I'd swear this was a real Police Call Box. Except for one thing."
Lis laughed. "I suppose you're going to tell me there's a vibration, as if it's alive."
Janet nodded. "That's exactly right." Her expression was deadly serious.
The laughter died in Lis' throat. "That's not funny, Janet." Any further comments were forgotten as the door opened and out stepped a man with brown curly hair, a wide smile and an impossibly long scarf. "Tom!" Lis exclaimed. "What a wonderful surprise!"
The newcomer seemed taken aback by this greeting. "I'm sorry, but have we met?"
"Oh Tom, don't be so standoffish," Lis scolded. "Did you have second thoughts then?"
The man stared at Lis as if she were mad. "I've never even had any first thoughts. And my name isn't Tom. I think you've mistaken me for someone else."
Janet had remained in the background, observing Lis and the man with the scarf. With him and the Police Box combined, she was reluctant to voice her thoughts, but knew there was something not quite right about all of this. "So, who are you then?" she asked.
"Oh, I'm no-one special, " he replied. "Just a traveller in time and space."
Even Lis began to have her doubts. "Tom, you're not making any sense."
"I keep telling you, my name isn't Tom. I'm the Doctor." Lis and Janet stared open mouthed as he pushed past them to observe the scene being played out behind them. "So, who are these fellows then, eh?"
"You don't recognise them?" Lis asked. She moved toward him, but Janet caught her arm, pulling her back. "Janet, what . . . "
"Lis," Janet whispered. "Look at them."
At first Lis didn't understand. Everything seemed fine, nothing unusual happening. In fact, nothing at all. Then she realised. Nothing was happening because no one was moving. Everyone, from the actors to the cameramen and production crew, were frozen in time.
Finally, Lis and Janet were forced to accept that this was all for real. "Oh heck," was all Lis could say.
The man with the scarf turned around to face the two women. "So what's going on here?" There was no malice in his tone. If anything, he was reassuringly calm, taking this all in his stride. Just like the Doctor would do, Lis and Janet found themselves thinking.
"This is a tv studio," Janet replied, finding her voice, "and we're making a story for a series called Doctor Who."
"Fascinating," he commented. "Tell me more."
"Well, this particular story is to celebrate twenty years of the programme. A lot of the actors who appeared in Doctor Who over those twenty years have come back for this special."
"I see." The man with the scarf was really interested. "And what's this Doctor Who series about?"
Lis decided to chip in. "It's about a Time Lord who travels in time and space in a ship disguised as . . . " she paused, realising what she was about to say. "It's disguised as a Police Telephone Box and it's called a TARDIS."
The stranger's momentary look of surprise was not lost on Lis or Janet. He looked back at his own Police Box and it was as though a box of secrets had been opened. "A Time Lord and a TARDIS, you say?" They nodded. "Well, they say truth is stranger than fiction," he said, almost to himself.
He turned back to Lis. "And who is this 'Tom' you mistook me for?"
"Ah." Lis had been expecting this one. "Well, one of the actors who played the main role decided not to take part. Someone Janet and I both worked with. That's 'Tom', and he looks like you."
"Really." The man was deep in thought. Then he smiled. "Do you know, I've just had a brilliant idea."
*****
Years later, when the DVD of The Five Doctors was released, all the cast received a complimentary copy, as was standard practice. But if anyone had seen either Lis' or Janet's copy, they would have seen another Doctor appearing in numerous amended or brand new scenes. As she watched, Lis re- read the note that had been inserted inside the casing, knowing that Janet would also have received a similar greeting . . .
'Elisabeth,
Thank you for allowing me to indulge myself all those years ago. Only you and Janet will see the results in this special edition.
The Doctor.'
And Lis' thoughts drifted back to that special day. "Oh Doctor," she remembered, "you didn't forget."